Purging air from carbonated beverage containers



Feb. 23, 1943. c. scHMuTzL-:R ETAL PURGING 'AIR FROM CARBONAIED BEVERAGECONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1939 5 Sheets-Shes?l l Feb. 23, 1.943. c.scHMUTzER E-r Al. 2:;312288 PURGING AIR FROM CARBONATED BEVERAGECONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N ENTOR Feb. 23, 1943. vQ SCHMUTZER ETAL l2,312,288

URGING AIR FROM CARBONATED BEvERAGE CONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1959 5sheets-sheet 3 Feb. 23, 1943. l c. Scl-I MUTZER -E-r Al.Y i 2,312,288

PURGING AIR FROM CARBONTED BEVERAGE CONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1959 5sheets-sheet 4 Feb.23,1943.. C. SCHMUTZER ETA.. 2,312,288

PURGING AIR FROM CARBON-A-TED BEVERAGE CONTAINERS Filed May 27, 1959 5sheets-sheet 5 Patented Feb. 23, 1943 PURGING AIR, FROM CARBONATEDBEVERAGE CONTAINERS Charles Schmutzer, Irvington, and `Kurtn Manrodt,Newark, N. J., assignors to Hoffman Bev- `erage Company, Newark, N. J.,a corporation of v New Jersey f ApplicationMa'y'Z, 1939,'Serial No;276,256*

18 Claims.

This invention relates to an'i'mprovedinethod and apparatusfor purgingair fro'm receptacles containing gas-charged vliquids j' 'more particilarly amethod of inducing'and controllin'gthe formation of anair-displacing foam in the neck portion of carbonated beveragecontainers. *In the manufacture of packaged "carbonated fruit-avored orcereal beverages, the presence' of air between the liquid surfaceandthe'seal of the' container has beenfound to`affect the avor ofthebeverage through oxidation of the organic contents' thereof. Thisundesirable flavor change becomes particularly noticeable when thebottled beverage is pasteurizeclfthe oxidation being apparentlyaccelerated by the heat treatment. Among the methods 'that have beenattempted to purge the air from above the beverage in the containerprior to sealing it are squirting' jets of the beverageinto the bottleneck to promote foaming, Ainjecting carbon dioxide gas into the 'neck todisplace the-air,'and the like, but these are wasteful and not entirelysuccessful. Another method of eliminating the air includes jarring 'thecontainer after lling and before'sealing to liberate sufficient carbondioxide from'the liquid to cause foam, which displaces the airY from theneck of the container, which is then sealed.' Thi-s method has beenfound toA be successfulfbutl where the beverage ishighly carbonated'thedegree of foamingl is sometimes difficult; tocontrol because the entirebody of the beverage is'agi'- tated, and the jarring action notinfrequently results in overfoaming With consequent Waste of thebeverage.

In accordance with the present invention,'an effective` method andapparatus are provided for controlling the air-displacing foam producedby the gas-in the liquid for the purpose of purging the-air from thespace-'above the liquid'level ofpartly filled containers of carbonatedbeverages prior tov-sealing them;

More specifically, a container, such as a bottle or can, partly filledwith thecarbonated beverage, such as ginger ale, fbeer, soda-water,-orthe like, is temporarily cappedl by aheadI containing a member4actuated-'by'foam rising inthe container.- The contents ofthebottleare-then so -treated by foam-inducing means that apart ofthe gas thereinis released-to form'foam, Whichrises to-themout-h of the'bottle, thusdisplacingA the air in the neck of the bottle. For example,

the foam-inducing means lmay be-"a Aseries of -agi-y tating mechanismsvWhich'successively gently dis: turb the contents of the' bottlesufficiently toy effect sufficient foaming to the bottle mouth.

er disables the next fsuccessive'mechanisms', so`k that they Ado notagitate the'contents ofthe bottle`. The pressure in the neck of thebottle also actsv on the liquidsu'r'face of the contents to preventfurther liberation ofcarbon dioxide from the beverage sof that by "thetime the" head is raised from the bottle preparatory to the 'iinalcapping operation, the contents are queted suniciently so that a minimumof carbon dioxide escapes from solution.

In a modification ofy vthe invention, the head, which engages the mouthof the bottle totemporarily cap thc-:Q same, is connected to a source ofsuction so that not only is' a large proportion V of the air 'Withdrawnfrom the space above 4*the liquid in the bottle, b u'trthe .reducedpressure on the liquid causesthewrelease of carbon `dioxide therefromVso, that foaming is induced. Ihe perforated foam-respgnsive plunger inlthe head has clogged the suction raises the d isc and seals the suctionopening, thereby automatically stopping the foam-inducing ,suction andinhibitingfurther foaming. The head is then released from the bottleand, while the foam still extends to the lip thereof, the bottle ispermanently sealed.

It Will be seen that the method and apparatus of Athis invention providea very simple vand effective means for purging air from the top of acontainerpartially filled With a gascontaining liquid, Such-as acarbonated beverage, by inducing foaming thereofandv controlling thefoaming by means of the foam,jso that the complete purging of the airuniformly from all containersis effected Without lossof thefbeverage duetoeverfoamings" A-more'com'plete understanding ofthe details of theinvention may be had `by reference to the Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiontherethrough as seen along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are developments of cams adapted for use therewith;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the foam control head andthe means for controlling the foam-inducing mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan View of the foaminducing mechanism and foamcontrol head as seen along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. '7 is an enlarged plan View of the foam-A inducing mechanism asseen partly in section along the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan ofthe cocking lever for the foam-inducingmechanism as seen part-l ly in section along the line 8--8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is an axial section through a modied form of the invention,involving the use of suction for inducing the foaming of the beverage;

and,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-section therethrough as seen along the line.IIl--ID of Fig. 9, and illustrating the perforated foam-responsivedisc. Y

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, containers, such as bottles B,after being partially filled with a carbonated beverage by aconventional machine or the like, not shown, are supplied by a conveyorI 0 to a rotary inlet turret II of conventional design which transfersthe bottles B over its table I2 to the foam-control machine I3, whichrotates in synchronism with turret II in clockwise direction as shown bythe arrows in Fig. 1. Each bottle B is carried by machine I3 forpractically one rotation thereof to a conventional rotary dischargeturret I4 which receives the bottles and transfers them to conveyor I0leading to a conventional capping or sealing machine 'I5 rotating insynchronism with the turret I4.

As shown in Fig. 2, foam-control machinev I3 comprises a base plate I6mounted on suitable supports I1, and carrying shaft I8 xed within hub I9by bolts 2U. A thrust bearing 2| is positioned within hub flange 22 andsupports the weight of spider 23 rotatably mounted on shaft I8 havingthe interposed bearing bushings 24. A lateral integral extension 25 ofspider'23 forms a support for the foam-control assemblies 26. A largehorizontal plate 21 on spider 23 extends ilush with inlet and outletturret bottle tables I2 and I5, respectively, and supports the bottlesresting in semi-circular bottle pockets formed in a ring 28 secured nearthe edgeof plate 21. A large gear 32 keyed to spider 23 meshes withgears 33' and 34 of the inlet turret II and discharge turret I4,respectively, so that gears 32, 33V and 34 operate in synchronism whendriven froml xedly carry the crown cam 4I, which extendslcircumferentially part Way around foam control machine I3, as shown inFig. 1, and which has the contour shown in Fig. 4. Also mounted onsimilar cam supports 31 at a point just ahead of I3, is an invertedcrown cam 43, having th contour shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 5, the foam-control head assemblies 26 each comprisesa substantially horizontal lever 44 having a collar 5I provided with acap 52 clamping the head 45 on the end of lever 44 in alignment with acorresponding bottle recess 28. Cap 52 is provided with a lateral stud54 having a bushing 56 on which is journalled the roller 55, held inplace by washer 51 and cotter pin 58. As shown in Fig. 4, lever 44 ispivoted at its inner end on a horizontal pin 41 on bracket 46, which issecured to spider extension 25 by bolts 43 and is urged downwardly byspring 49,

so that roller 55 is held against cam 4| when engaging the same. A stop50 limits the downward movement of lever 44.

Each control head 45 comprises tubular sleeve 59 having shoulders 69 and6I fixing the said sleeve within collar 5I. The upper end of sleeve 59is recessed axially and is threaded to receive nut 62,'which is screweddown to seal gasket 63 against lip 64 of sleeve 59. Gasket nut 65,

screwed on the threaded lower end of sleeve 59,

l of nut 62 when the valve 61 is in open position,

resting on shoulders 68. A series of small air ducts 12 in valve 61dischargerinto valve chamber 1I which opens to the atmosphere throughpassage 13 in nut 62. Valve ducts 'I2 are made suiciently smallv so asto be readily closed or clogged by foam rising against them, as will bedescribed. It will be observed that when valve 61 is in open positionagainst Yshoulders 68, an air discharge outlet is provided from the neckA of the bottle B through valve ducts 12, valve chamber 1I, and passage13 to atmosphere. When valve 51 is raised from shoulders 68 to itsclosed position against nut 62, conical shoulder 14 of valve 61 seatsYin the conical counterbore 14 in nut 62 to seal 12 against nut 62 so asto provide an airtight closure. When valve 61 is in this raised orclosed position, valve stem 16 projects above the surface of nut 62 asshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5'.

While the present invention is adapted for use with any type of foaminducing mechanism, one form of such mechanism isdisclosed hereinfor-purposes of illustration. A preferred embodiment thereof is shown inFigs. 2, 6, '1 and 8, and consists of a bottle tapping mechanism. Thistapping mechanism follows the cam 4I, after the heads 45 have beenreleased thereby for sealing engagement with the mouths of thecorresponding bottles B, and includes a sup-v cam 4I in the direction ofrotation of machine '15`v ping lever -8I and extension {i6-'of bracket15,

garages' corresponding tapping'farm corresponding" bottlerB zssltblowWithfpredeterj mined force;` Detents 30 v'are so spaced ar'ond the`machine that each cocks--a-leve1f'i82ils" vas tofj'ar' the bottlesl'in'successionas 4theyv-passby.' YWhile Fig'. 1 -shows four tappingmechanisms in@ series Y used inv vcon'junctiori`1 with foamecoritrolmachine I3," the number of 'units may vary-for' treatment 'of aparticular-fl beverage according to the extent of carbonation andtemperature of the liquid, the minimum' number oi units-beingascertained by the critical foaming characte" istic necessary to purgethec'tainr `ofaii.' Thus, one such mechanisrnmay be suicient for ahighly carbonated beverage, although each is adaptedy to provide agentle tap-to prevent over foaming so thatmore than one tapping-mecha.nism isusually necessary-.-- v s In operation the v partially li-llledcontainers,- such as --bottles HB are conveyed A'by-conveyor I0 from thefilling machine andaretransferred to pocketsg28 of 'machinex I3vby inletturret lI I.'- As machine I3 rotates, foam-control assemblies 26 arereleased by cam 4'I--andare-.drawnv downwardly by spring 49 so thatgasket 66 is sealed against the lipof bottlef'B, valve. 61 resting vinopen position on shoulders 68=andvalve stem does not project about nut62. As bottles --B, each temporarily sealed by acorresponding head 45,advance past the-\tapping--mechanisms,l the corresponding detent' 30engages-each cock-inglever 82 to retreat1tappingleverfI. l'As thes-tipof the cooking lever-82-slips-over-the detent 30,

spring 84 swings the tappingleverl against the corresponding bottle B,thereby causing the bottle to bejarred- Thel resulting -agitatioirof thebeverage releases partlof` the carbon dioxide entrained therein,wl1ich,-risingV to the-surface, forms foam, which in turn -risestodisplacef'air from space A throughvalve ducts-12 .toatmoss phereAthrough lpassage 13`r When -the foam y rises sufficiently in responseto repeated agita` tions of the liquid by successive tappingmechanisrns, to contact valve 61, the foam clogs the valve ducts 12, lsothat pressure forms in space A due to continued foaming and thispressure raises valve 61 to close passage 13. Raising'of valve 01 isaccompanied" by raising valve stem 10 above nut 62 so that as bottle Bapproaches thefvnext tapping mechanism,- valve stem 10 engages" shoe19-thereof,-thus preventinghthefrelea-se of cocked tapping lever-8|v forimpact-with the bottle B. Shoe 19 delays the release of tape pingfleverv 8| until bottle Bv-passes---beyondthe range thereof. In thisWay'the oamingpfeachbottle B lscontrolled by its own foam, the foamacting to prevent further foaming-bydisabling the foam-inducing means.

As the air-purged bottles B advance toward discharge turret I4,carn=43-engages the extended valve stems 10 of each control head 45,depressing the-same to restore the .valves to normal'position withoutdisturbing the foam. The excesspre'ssure is relieved through ducts 12;Cam 4I then engages roller of foaml control assembly 26,L

lifting the said assembly from the lip of bottle B and maintaining it'inlvraise'd positionwhile the bottle, still -with foarntol 4vits""mouth,V is transfer-red bydischarg'e-tuiiretalA andfeonveyor I-0- tothe final sea1ing"machine.I5. y

' In the modicationilflustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the head 45 iscarried by''a" slide 90 splined at 9| for'vertical movement in-a sleeve92 formed on a rotary "spid'B "As-inhe 'arrangement of "Fig 1,aiiur'iibrof suchheads 'may be provided, each aligne'd-iwith" aivertically-'fixed support, not shown; 'but corresponding'to parts21',l20 in Fig. V1, in"whichthe'.'bttle `B"'is supported. After thepartiallyllld bottle B is placed lin alignment with th'eic'orresponding"he'a'd 45', a stationary cai 94;'engagedby roller v'soiislid'e90;'lowers th'elatter to "rm'ly 'engage the rubber gasket 95 Withthelip'of`thebottle B to seal the same.

' The gasket^96` isfclampe'd 'between a flange 91 on' belli'QS andaintintermeviate` washer 99, of metal'or otheri'irm materialfengagingthelower end' 'of' a "'tl'Ibe *I '00,!y which 'is slidable in slide 90,and carries the bell'9 on its'lower end" and has a nut |0I`at its upperend'. A'c'oil spring |`02jurges the tube' |00 downwardlysdthat nutI0I'rests in'v theupper end v"of the s1ide"'90; 'Thepurpose of spring|02 is compensation'for overfor Lunder heightbottles B Thusthe "slide4lillis lowered by cam` 94' agreater amount than is necessary to sealgasket for normal height bottles,` so that for^under height'bottlesrtl'fe seal between` gasket 95=and the lip" of the bottle is"assured. For average" 'or-` "greater than averageJ height bottles B',the tube-"|00 simply recedes, nut |0I lifting'from slide 90;=

kThe-"center bor'e |03 ofthe tube |00 normally communicates at its'lower' end\,through the passage |04 in gasket- 90l and'iwasher 99, withthe interior of "bottle" 'Bandat its upper end with a source of'suction'throug'hexible tube or hose |05. fThis communication' oftube'boreV ID3-*with the source of suction'is'controlledby valvespnotshown, but synchronized with can'fr94 so that-the suction is turned onafter the gasket 96 is sealed with the lip of the bottle By and isturned-'off just before arm 94 lifts the slide90from thebottle, asI willbe readily understoodw-Any 4mechanism for eifecting thisv action willserve the purpose, such as, for example, -a stationary recessed plate H0connected byv pipe III -to the suction source and cooperatingwith-*plate II2 rotating with the machine to connect the tube |05 toanddisconnect it from 'the source" of suction at the"afore mentionedproper timed intervals.

Interposed in the' suction line' and located' 'a chamber |06' formedbetween`l`a"'coiinterebore 'in ythe 'lower end" of the plungerl00""and"'th'e upper surface of washer 99, is light plunger 'disc" v|01'having adiameter slightlylessithan the diameter of'charnber |06 andlarger' than 'passaglil'lll The centerlu of :the plunger 'dise m1 is'fiini p'erforat'e,y so 'that it Acan "sea'll the 'bore 'I wh'er'lraised' against the-'endy thereof; butfin'thevspac between thediameterpf-bore |09-and the-paslsage l |04 there is provided al seriesofsmall holes air is exhausted through passage |64 and holes |68 from thespace above the beverage in the bottle B. As this air is exhausted, thepressure on the liquid is decreased, resulting in the release of gasfrom the liquid, which causes foam to rise to the lip of the bottle,thereby expelling the remaining air therefrom. The foam enters passage|Q4 and lodges against the plunger disc |01, thereby clogging the holes|08 therein. The suction, being thus interrupted by plunger disc |01,draws the latter upwardly until the imperforate center portion thereofcloses the end of the bore |03, thus stopping the foam induction andinhibiting further foaming. The valve controlling the suction thencloses, breaking the suction and cam Sti raises the head 45 from the lipof the bottle, which is then transferred to a sealing station and sealedwhile the air-excluding foam still extends to the lip thereof, in themanner described in connection with the form of Fig. l. The plunger disc|91 drops to its position of rest on washer 99, the foam lms across theholes |68 therein are broken, and the head 55' is ready to repeat theoperation.

While this invention has been described in connection with controllingthe foaming of carbonated beverages, it is obvious that the inventionmay be applied with utility to the purging of air or other gas from thesurface of any liquid having the desired foaming characteristic andpackaged in any type of receptacle or container. Also, the foam-inducingmeans may be fluid jetting apparatus, as well as the disclosed suctionand tapping mechanisms, so long as foam is induced and is utilized tocontrol the foam-inducing means. It is further to be understood thatWhile preferred embodiments of the structure of the invention have beenset forth herein, the invention is not to be limited thereto save asdened in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. The method of purging air from a partially-filled carbonated beveragecontainer, which comprises treating the beverage to cause it to releasegas to form foam rising in the container for expelling air from thespace above the liquid therein, directly utilizing the engagement of therising foam with a control element adapted to control the furtherfoam-inducing treatment of the beverage, and then sealing the container.

2. The method of purging air from a partially-flied carbonated beveragecontainer, which comprises treating the beverage to cause it to releasegas to form foam rising in the container for expelling air from thespace above the liquid therein, directly utilizing the engagement of therising foam with a control element at a predetermined level above theliquid in the container to stop the foam-inducing treatment, and thensealing the container.

3. The method lof purging air from a partially-filled carbonatedbeverage container, which comprises treating the beverage in thecontainer to cause it to release gas to induce foaming up to apredetermined level above the liquid, utilizing the foam at that levelto completely seal the container to allow gas pressure to rise thereinas the result of continued foaming, utilizing the said gas pressurel inthe container to control the foam-inducing treatment, and then sealingthe container.

4. The method of purging air from a partially-filled carbonated beveragecontainer,l which comprises treating the beverage in they container tocause it to release gas to induce foaming up to a predetermined levelabove the liquid, utilizing the foam at that level to completely sealthe container to allow gas pressure to rise therein as the result ofcontinued foaming, utilizing the saidgas pressure in the container tostop the foam-inducing treatment, and then sealing the container.

5. The method of purging air from a partiallyfilled carbonated beveragecontainer, which cornprises partially closing the container temporarily,treating the beverage in the container to cause it to release gas toinduce foaming up to a predetermined level above the liquid, utilizingthe foam at that level to completely seal the container to allow gaspressure to rise therein as the result of continued foaming for quietingsaid continued foaming, releasing the temporary seal from the container,and then permanently sealing the container.

6. The method of packaging beverages containing carbon-dioxide, whichcomprises partially filling a container with the beverage, the spaceabove the liquid level in the container containing air, treating thebeverage in the container to cause it to release gas to induce foamingfor expelling at least part of the air from the container, directlyutilizing the engagement of the rising foam with a control element to gcontrol the foam-inducing treatment, and then sealing the containerwhile substantially purged of air.

'7. The method of packaging beverages containing carbon dioxide, whichcomprises partially filling a container with the beverage, the spaceabove the liquid level in the container containing air, agitating thebeverage in the container to induce foaming thereof for expelling atleast part of the air from the container, utilizing the said foaming tocontrol the foam-inducing agitation, and then sealing the containerwhile substantially purged of air.

8. The method of packaging beverages containing carbon dioxide, `whichcomprises partially filling a container with the beverage, the spaceabove the liquid level in the container containing air, reducing thepressure on the surface of the beverage in the container to cause it torelease gas to induce foaming for expelling at least part of the airfrom the container, directly utilizing the engagement of the rising foamwith a control element to control the said pressure reduction, and thensealing the container while substantially purged of air.

9. In apparatus for ypurging air from a partially-lled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container,means to cause the beverage to release gas for inducing foaming of thebeverage in the container to expel at least part of the air from thespace above the liquid in the container, means responsive to the foam'mgfor controlling the foam-inducing action of said first means, and meansfor sealing the container.

l0. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-filled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of suction means connected to themouth of the container for reducing pressure therein and thus inducingrfoaming of the beverage in the container to expel at least part of theair from the space above the liquid in the container, means responsiveto the foaming for controlling the foam-inducing suction, and means forsealing the container.

11. In apparatus for Ypurging air from a Apartially-lled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container,means to cause the beverage to release gas for inducing foaming of thebeverage in the container to expel at least part of the air in the spaceabove the liquid in the container, means responsive to the rise of thefoam to a predetermined level above the liquid in the container forcontrolling the foam-inducing means, and means for sealing thecontainer.

12. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-filled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container,means to cause the beverage to release gas for inducing foaming of thebeverage in the container to expel at least part of the air from thespace above the liquid in the container, means responsive to the rise ofthe foam to a predetermined level above the liquid in the container forsealing the container to allow gas pressure to rise therein as theresult of continued foaming, means actuated by said gas pressure in thecontainer, operative connections between said last means and said firstmeans for controlling the foam-inducing action of the latter, and means.for sealing the container.

13. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-lled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container, anapertured closure for the container adjacent the support, means forapplying said closure to the container, means for inducing foaming ofthe beverage in the container t'o expel at least part of the air fromthe space above the liquid in the container, the aperture in the closurebeing sealable by the foam film rising in the container, whereby the gaspressure in the container rises as the result of continued foaming,means actuated by said gas pressure in the container for controlling thefoam-inducing means, and means -for sealing the container.

-tially-Iilled carbonated beverage container, the

combination of a support for the container, a closure for the containermounted adjacent the support and having a passage, means for applyingsaid closure to the container, means adjacent the support for inducingfoaming of the beverage in the container to expel through said passageat last part of the air from the space above the liquid in thecontainer, means in the closure passage responsive to the rise of thefoam to a predetermined level in the container for closing the passageto allow the gas pressure due to the foaming to increase in thecontainer and thus quiet the foaming, means for removing said closure,and means for then sealing the container.

15. In apparatus for purging air` from a partially-filled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container, aclosure for the container mounted adjacent the support and having apassage, means for applying said closure to the container, meansadjacent the support for inducing foaming of the beverage in thecontainer to expel through said passage at least part of the air fromthe space above the liquid in the container, a movable member in thepassage for closing the same in response to a predetermined pressure in`the container resulting from the release of the gas during foaming,operative connections between said member and the foam-inducing meansfor controlling the latter, means for removing said closure, and meansfor then sealing the container.

16. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-lled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container, aclosure for the container mounted adjacent the support and having apassage, means for applying said closure to the container, meansadjacent the support for inducing foaming of the beverage in thecontainer to expel through said passage at least part of the air fromthe space above the liquid in the container, said closure passage havinga size sealable by the foam lm to allow gas pressure to rise in thecontainer as the result of the continued foaming, means responsive tothe gas pressure in the container for controlling said foam-inducingmeans, means for removing said closure, and means for then sealing thecontainer.

17. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-lled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a closure for the containermounted adjacent the support and having a passage connected to a sourceof suction, means for applying said closure to the container forinducing foaming of the beverage in the container by the suction toexpel at least part of the air from the space above the liquid in thecontainer, a valve in said passage having an aperture scalable by thefoam lm to allow the suction to actuate the valve to seal the passageand thereby stop the foam-inducing suction, means for removing saidclosure, and means for then sealing the container.

18. In apparatus for purging air from a partially-flled carbonatedbeverage container, the combination of a support for the container, aclosure for the container mounted adjacent the support and having apassage, means for applying said closure to the container, a source ofsuction, means for connecting said source of suction to said passage forinducing foaming of the beverage in the container to expel through saidpassage at least part of the air from the space above the liquid in thecontainer, a valve in said passage having an aperture sealfable by thefoam film to allow the suction to actuate said valve to seal the passageand thereby stop the foam-inducing suction, means for disconnecting saidsource of suction from, said passage to break the suction thereon, meansfor removing said closure, and means for then sealing the container.

CHARLES SCHMUTZER. KURT MANRODT.

